DOSAGE INFORMATION

When figuring dosages one must have several figures in hand. First, you must know the wet weight of your sample before and after cleaning/processing. It is also very important to record the dry weight of the starting material prior to extraction or ingestion. With a knowledge of these figures it will be a lot easier to predict present and future dosages, and help prevent overdoses or ( bad trips ). Remember, don't just consume so many inches of cactus just because you read it somewhere. A 12 inch section of 4 inch diameter Cactus is many times the volume of a 1 inch diameter piece. The total dry weight is the only standard of measurement that should be used.

The threshold dosage for mescaline is generally considered to be around 150 mg. An " average" working dose is around 300 mg. A 400 mg. dose has been described as an " entheogenic all day lollipop ." The maximum safe dosage is believed to be about 1000 mg. ( this amount varies widely according to individual tolerance, experience, frame of mind, setting )

LOW DOSE, 100 - 200 mg A mild buzz, to good trip with some visuals.

MODERATE DOSE, 200 - 300 mg Average dosage, strong visuals.

HIGH DOSE, 300 - 500 mg Intense visuals, ego dissociation possible.

EXTREME DOSE, 500 - 800 mg For experienced, competent explorers only.

MAXIMUM SAFE DOSE, 1000 mg Dangerous ground to tread on.

HIGHEST KNOWN DOSE, 1500 mg Mr. Death might be the ultimate discovery?

In Psychedelic Shamanism, author Jim DeKorne suggests the following dosages as good starting points for experimentation. ( remember, your mileage may vary )

"T. pachanoi 300 mg dose of mescaline contained in 100.0 grams of dry material. T. peruvianus 300 mg dose of mescaline contained in 37.5 grams of dry material. L. williamsii 300 mg dose of mescaline contained in 27.0 grams of dry material."

300 to 500 mg of the sulfate salt is equivalent to 225 to 375 mg of the free base.

One source suggests that a good starting dosage for San Pedro is about 1 pound (about 450gm ), or about 45 gm dry. They also stated that a larger dosage would be much more desirable after mescaline content has been established.

Many people are disappointed with their first excursion into the Cactus wonder world because of taking an initially sub-standard dose. It has been calculated that if a person takes a ineffective dose, the next dosage can be increased by a factor of 7 without pushing the range of toxicity. That is, if your first batch ingested was 20 grams and you felt no effect, you should be safely able to try 140 grams next time without ill effect. My personal opinion is that this is a bit on the excessive side. Better to play it safe and work your way up slowly. If you try to fly and fail, you will probably want to give it another shot. However if you take an excessive amount and have a bad trip, it may scare you off of hallucinogens for life. Think about it before you decide how much to try.

Often times determining the approximate dosage of a section is rather difficult, especially if you don't have a set of scales. To help you figure out how much weight you have for a given size section, here are some figures.

1.5 - 2.0 inch diameter section = 1.0 ounces per inch of length

2.0 - 2.5 inch diameter section = 1.5 ounces per inch of length.

2.5 - 3.0 inch diameter section = 2.0 ounces per inch of length

3.0 - 3.5 inch diameter section = 2.5 ounces per inch of length

3.5 - 4.0 inch diameter section = 3.0 ounces per inch of length

4.0 - 4.5 inch diameter section = 3.5 ounces per inch of length

One pound of fresh Tricocereus contains 3 ounces of fibrous core, 6 ounces of white tissue, and 6 ounces of green tissue, along with 1 ounce of exterior skin and spines.